BC launches new immigrant intake system

British Columbia has launched a new intake system for the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) so it aligns with British Columbia’s labour market and economic development priorities.

The PNP’s new Skills Immigration Registration System (SIRS) is a points-based system that gives candidates a registration score that determines whether they are invited to apply. Their score is based on a number of factors that reflect an individual’s ability to succeed in the labour market and contribute to the provincial economy such as level of education, years of direct work experience and a BC employment offer.

The new system more closely aligns with the federal government’s immigration process for skilled labour. For example, BC’s tech sector is consistently growing faster than the overall economy. For many employers their need for talent is urgent, especially in highly specialised areas. The new registration system allows employers to access skilled labour quickly to bring highly skilled newcomers into the province to support continued growth in the industry.

“We want to make sure that when immigrants come to British Columbia they will be successful and support the labour market needs in our diverse, strong and growing economy,” explained Shirley Bond, BC’s Minister for Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training. “That is why we redesigned our system to ensure that the process is timely, transparent and focused on meeting our economic labour demands.”

BC’s quota of PNP nominations is set annually by the federal government. In 2015, that allocation was 5,500 and the province negotiated an additional 300 to achieve 5,800 – more than any other province.  The 2016 PNP allocation from the federal government has yet to be confirmed.

Since the 2001 inception of the program, more than 34,000 workers and entrepreneurs have been attracted to the province through the PNP.